What Is a Bishoujo Statue? Kotobukiya's 1/7 Scale Line, Explained (2026)

A bishoujo statue is a pre-painted collectible figure from Kotobukiya's long-running BISHOUJO line, which takes characters from Western comics, video games, movies, and pop culture and re-draws them as stylized anime girls. If you have seen a 1/7 scale Catwoman, a Street Fighter heroine, or even a horror icon rendered in a soft, moe art style, that is a bishoujo statue. This guide explains what the line is, where it came from, how big the figures are, what they cost, and how to start collecting one.

• What it is: Kotobukiya's BISHOUJO line of pre-painted display figures
• Started: 2009, based on illustrations by Shunya Yamashita
• Scale: almost always 1/7 (roughly 21–27 cm tall)
• Assembly: none — they arrive finished, not model kits
• Typical price: about ¥19,250–¥25,300 at retail
• Best known for: DC, Marvel, SNK, Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, and horror characters reimagined as anime girls

What Is a Bishoujo Statue?

A bishoujo statue is a figure that applies the Japanese “beautiful young girl” (美少女, bishoujo) art style to an existing character — usually one who was never drawn in an anime style to begin with. Kotobukiya, a Japanese figure maker, builds the line around the illustrations of artist Shunya Yamashita, then sculpts those drawings into finished 1/7 scale figures.

The appeal is the reinterpretation. A bishoujo statue is not a screen-accurate copy of a character; it is that character seen through a Japanese “kawaii” lens, which is why the line leans so heavily on Western properties that have never had an anime look of their own.

Akibato ships scale and prize figures from Japan, including scale figures of anime and game heroines in this style, if you are building that kind of shelf: browse the Akibato figures collection.

Where the Bishoujo Line Came From

Kotobukiya launched the BISHOUJO line in 2009. It grew out of Shunya Yamashita's illustration work and has run continuously since, expanding from a handful of comic-book characters into one of the widest cross-licensing lines in the hobby.

The line is well enough established that it marked its 15th anniversary in 2024 with a dedicated Shunya Yamashita exhibition in Tokyo, showing more than 60 BISHOUJO illustrations alongside newly drawn works. For collectors, that longevity matters: it means a deep back catalog and a steady stream of both new figures and re-releases.

How Big Are Bishoujo Statues? 1/7 Scale and Size in cm

Bishoujo statues are almost always 1/7 scale, the same scale used by many premium anime figures. In practice that puts most of them in the 21–27 cm range, depending on the character's pose and hair.

Recent examples give a sense of the spread:

• Monster High Draculaura — about 26 cm tall, 1/7 scale
• Hatsune Miku BISHOUJO ReMIX — about 24.7 cm including its hexagonal base
• Standing poses tend to cluster around 21–24 cm; figures with big hair or dynamic poses run taller

If you are unsure how 1/7 compares to 1/8 or 1/4, our guide to anime figure scale sizes in cm breaks down the actual heights.

Which Franchises Get Bishoujo Statues?

The defining trait of the line is its licensing range. Bishoujo statues pull from properties that rarely, if ever, appear in anime form:

• DC Comics: Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and other Gotham characters
• Marvel: heroes and villains rendered in the bishoujo style
• Fighting games: SNK / The King of Fighters, Street Fighter, Tekken, and Darkstalkers (the “Vampire” series in Japan)
• Horror: a HORROR BISHOUJO sub-line that has included Sadako from Ring and M3GAN
• Family and toy brands: My Little Pony, Monster High, and even a Furby
• Vocaloid: Hatsune Miku, via the BISHOUJO ReMIX line

That breadth is the whole point. Fans of the line are often collecting a specific character reimagined, not a specific anime.

Bishoujo vs Scale Figure vs Prize Figure

A bishoujo statue is a type of scale figure, but the label describes an art direction more than a product category. Here is how it sits next to the terms you will see on a store page:

• Bishoujo statue: a 1/7 pre-painted figure in Kotobukiya's specific “beautiful girl” art style, usually of a non-anime character
• Scale figure: any figure built to a fixed fraction of the character's canonical height (1/7, 1/8, 1/4). Bishoujo statues are scale figures; not all scale figures are bishoujo
• Prize figure: a figure produced for arcade and lottery draws such as Ichiban Kuji, generally cheaper and not sold at retail the same way

For the full breakdown of these categories, see our guide to the types of anime figures.

What Does a Bishoujo Statue Cost? ¥19,000–¥25,000 Explained

Bishoujo statues are premium, retail-priced figures rather than prize items. Recent announcements put most of them between roughly ¥19,000 and ¥25,000 before shipping:

• Monster High Draculaura — ¥19,800, released January 2026
• Hatsune Miku BISHOUJO ReMIX — ¥19,250, a re-release shipping from January 2027 (the original sold in 2020)
• Vampire BISHOUJO B.B. Hood (Darkstalkers) — ¥25,300, released May 2026

Prices are set by Kotobukiya at announcement and can change; treat these as reference points rather than firm quotes.

What Is the Bishoujo ReMIX Line?

BISHOUJO ReMIX is a sub-line that gives a character a fresh, original interpretation by Shunya Yamashita rather than adapting an existing pose. The re-released Hatsune Miku ReMIX figure, for example, puts her mid-performance on a concert stage with a stylized electric guitar, translucent clear hair parts, and a custom costume. If you see “ReMIX” on the box, expect a more elaborate, concept-driven sculpt within the same 1/7 scale.

How to Start Collecting Bishoujo Statues

Because bishoujo statues are limited retail figures, the buying pattern is different from grabbing a prize figure off a shelf:

• Pre-order early. Most figures open pre-orders months ahead and close once the production run is filled. B.B. Hood, for instance, listed a pre-order window that guaranteed a copy only until a set date.
• Watch for store bonuses. Some editions add exclusive parts — B.B. Hood's official pre-order included an extra “Evil Face” part — so where you order can change what you actually get.
• Buy from Japan for the full range. Many bishoujo figures, especially re-releases, are easiest to secure from Japanese retailers and shipped overseas.

Delivery from Japan usually takes a few days to a couple of weeks by courier; our guide on how long shipping from Japan takes covers the options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to assemble a bishoujo statue?

No. Bishoujo statues arrive pre-painted and fully finished. They are display figures, not model kits, so there is no gluing or painting required.

Who makes bishoujo statues?

Kotobukiya, a Japanese hobby manufacturer. The line is built around illustrations by Shunya Yamashita, which Kotobukiya's team sculpts into finished figures.

Are bishoujo statues official, licensed products?

Yes. Each figure is produced under license from the property's owner — DC, Marvel, SNK, Mattel, and so on — which is why the characters stay on-model even in a new art style.

What does “bishoujo” mean?

It is Japanese for “beautiful young girl.” In this context it refers to the moe-influenced art style the line applies to each character, not to the character's original design.

The Takeaway

Bishoujo statues are one of the easiest figure lines to recognize once you know the pattern:

• They are Kotobukiya's 1/7 scale, pre-painted figures, running since 2009
• They reimagine comic, game, movie, and toy characters as anime girls, based on Shunya Yamashita's art
• Most stand about 21–27 cm and cost roughly ¥19,000–¥25,000 at retail
• They are limited pre-order items, so timing and where you order both matter

If a bishoujo-style shelf is what you are after, Akibato ships scale and prize figures of anime and game heroines from Japan — browse the figures collection to see what is in stock.

Sources

• Essential Japan — Shunya Yamashita's BISHOUJO Series celebrates 15th anniversary with new exhibition
• Essential Japan — Kotobukiya's Darkstalkers BISHOUJO series continues with B.B. Hood
• Essential Japan — Kotobukiya opens pre-orders for new Bishoujo figure of Monster High's Draculaura
• Essential Japan — Kotobukiya's Hatsune Miku BISHOUJO ReMIX figure gets re-release after 7-year wait